Life As We Know It
by Tsunade-chan
Summary: "You know Sora you've changed since we met in junior high." AU SoraKairi


Hi there guys again.

Got another idea. This time SoraKairi. It takes place in the same universe as my first KH story A day off. Sora and Kairi are older in this one about eighteen this time around. Since I think you don't really fall in love younger than that. Listening to a lot of Billy Joel this time around. More will be explained at the end of the story.

* * *

Sora waited for the front door of Kairi's place to open. Nervously he bounced on the balls of his feel. _It's not like were going on a date or something it's just working on a school project._

Finally the door swung open and to Sora's surprise it wasn't his classmate it was a tall leggy woman with long silvery hair and dark skin she was dressed in a tank top and short shorts. Sora gulped.

"And who might you be?" she said in a foreign accent, Sora couldn't deduce the region she was from or why she was even standing at the door way of his classmates house. He knew Kairi just lived with her father. Maybe he got the door number wrong or wrong street.

The woman then repeated her question and Sora stumbled out, "I'm Sora." His voice went squeak like back when he was in puberty, "I'm looking for Kairi."

She had a bemused look on her face. Luckily he was saved by his red headed friend who lightly elbowed the taller woman in the side, "Fran leave him alone he's a classmate of mine and came over to work on a school project." She then grabbed Sora by the wrist and pulled him inside and up the stair in the direction towards her bedroom.

"Who was that?" he croaked out.

"Oh that's Fran," she said as if it's no big deal, "She's dad's assistant, she lives here."

Sora decided to keep his mouth shut and not pursue any of the many questions that were wondering through his mind. They had then entered her large room Kairi then made a rather large leap towards her bed, then grabbing onto one of her insanely huge stuffed animals she giggled.

"You've got a bigger room that I do." He said looking around at each of the walls; they were pink much like the dress she was currently wearing, with posters, picture of TV shows, bands and movies that she loved. There were also random items that Sora deduced were from traveling hanging in special cases or from tacks nailed to the wall. About one half of the largest wall was full of pictures of Kairi and a sandy haired man, that Sora assumed was her father. Fran was even in a few of them.

"Dad likes to travel." She said a giggle, "He brought me to just about everywhere. Always says we're looking for treasure."

Sora nodded taking a seat at her desk in front of her computer.

"Has Terra taken you anywhere?"

"Nowhere interesting… well he took me to Disney Town a few times for my birthday when I was younger." Sora responded. He rolled her desk chair closer to the pictures.

"Hey," he said pointing to one in particular, "where was this one taken…and why are you in that silly dress?"

Kairi stepped off the bed to take a good look at the picture, then she laugh, "Oh man I forget where that was. Dad got some silly idea on a new story of his and then ran into these men that swore up and down they were pirates. We ended up living on the ship for a couple weeks, ever since then dad swears he was a pirate in his past life."

"You're fathers a novelist right?" Sora asked.

"If that's what you call a man that sits around the house all day in front of a computer then yes." She said flopping back on her bed, "he's more annoying than anything."

"He can't be that bad."

"Trust me he is! You know what he does he hits a writers block?" she didn't give Sora chance to even open his mouth, "He plays the piano and drinks! Most of the time he's singing while he does it and it's almost always sometime in the middle of the night!"

Sora weighed his options, "I'm sure he doesn't mean to, but it's obvious that he has to do what makes his brain flow with ideas."

Kairi gave an exhausted sigh, "You're probably right."

"Well," Looking down at his backpack Sora decided to change the subject, "we should get working on this project or it's never going to get done."

Kairi grinned, "So studious of you Sora."

Sora's cheeks burned with embarrassment, "Sorry if I want to get a scholarship to a university this year. The last thing I need is to ask Terra is to pay for my university."

They both descended into the silent workings of there group project.

After several minutes Kairi spoke up, "You know Sora you've changed since we met in junior high."

"Oh?" Sora said looking up from the binder on his lap.

"You seem more mature."

He gave her a questioning look.

"Ah, ha what do we have here?" a voice said interrupting them.

Sora looked towards the entrance of Kairi's room to find a tall man with sandy blonde hair leaning against the door. He was wearing a dress shirt half buttoned up and along with leather pants with several belts. He wore bracelets, rings and had several earrings, "Young love maybe? What do you think Fran?"

Fran laughed, "I thought I smelt something when he was at the door."

Sora turned bright red and Kairi got off her perch on the bed and stepped towards him, "we're not in love or doing anything inappropriate!"

"Well his face says other wise." The older man said pointing towards the younger one.

Kairi turned back to look at her companion. Sora's eyes were down cast and embarrassment was evident on his face.

Her father snuck past his daughter lazily throwing his arm over Sora's shoulders, "I knew it when I saw you call it writer's intuition."

"I thought that you wrote those spy novels."

"That's neither here nor there my son. My daughter is a fine lass she will do you well."

"DAD!" Kairi screamed.

"Sorry," he said standing before Sora, "forgot to introduce myself. Balthier's the name. As you know I write, and this is my assistant and a dear friend of Kairi's and mine, Fran."

Sora immediately stood and noticed the difference in height. Terra and Squall keep telling him that he hasn't hit his growth spurt yet Sora hated being shorter than practically everyone, "I'm Sora, sir. A classmate we're working on a project together. It's nice to meet both of you."

"Just Balthier boy," He said slapping Sora on the shoulder so hard he almost fell over.

"That's not his real name," Kairi blurted out in anger, "he hates his father so he changed it even though he said he changes it because he's a famous novelist. His real name is-"

She was stopped abruptly by her father's hand clamping over her mouth, "still your mouth child. No one needs to hear that information."

"Well your secret is safe with me." Sora said with a smile.

"I like you" Balthier said with a grin, "You're staying for supper."

"Dad you can't just tell him what to do!" Kairi glared at him.

"Of course I can," her father stated, "I'm the leading man." And with that he walked out.

* * *

LOL, he used his famous line. I just had this random idea that Balthier would actually work as a father figure and it seemed to me that only person that could handle him or put up with him other than Fran would be Kairi.

As for him playing the piano. I was listening to_ Piano Man_ on repeat for a while and I could just imagine a drunk Balthier sitting there hammering on the piano keys singing:

_And the piano sounds like a carnival _  
_And the microphone smells like a beer _  
_And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar _  
_And say "Man, what are you doin' here?" _

_Sing us a song, you're the piano man _  
_Sing us a song tonight. _  
_Well, we're all in the mood for a melody _  
_And you've got us feelin' alright._


End file.
